Floor outlet



Ndvl 20, 1928.

E. A. STAPLES FLOOR OUTLET Filed Dec. 6. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w/ZF B n so Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE A. STAPLES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

i FLOOR OUTLET.

My invention relates to improvements in electric conduits, and the same has for its obj ect more particularly to provide an outlet by means of which an apparatus, such as a telephone, telegraph instrument, light, fan, etc., may be readily connected with the electric conductors disposed in such conduit.

Further, said invention has for its object to provide an outlet having a member adapted m to be secured in a plurality of positions therein to seal said outlet, and serving, in one of said positions, as a guide for the branch conductors extending from the main conductors in the conduit.

Further, said invention has for its object to provide an outlet to be secured in a floor, wall, or the like, having means serving substantially to seal said outlet when the latter is in an operative or an inoperative condition.

Further, said invention has for its object to provide an outlet having a sealing member which constitutes a structural part of the outletto form a projecting guard for the branch conductors when the outlet is adjusted to its operative condition, and to form a tight closure for the outlet when the latter is adjusted to its inoperative condition.

Other objects will in part be obvious, and in part be hereinafter pointed out.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, my invention consists in the novel details of construction, and in the combination, connection and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a central vertical section 011 the line 11 of Fig. 3, showing one form of floor outlet constructed according to, and embodying my said invention; the outlet being adjusted to its inoperative position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the outlet adjusted to its operative position Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing a modified construction Fig, 5 is a central vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view thereof.

In said drawings, 10 designates the floor outlet as a whole disposed in position in a floor. The outlet comprises a casing 11, preferably circular in form, having a reduced lower end 12 provided with a screw-threaded 55 inlet opening 13 adapted to receive the end of Serial No. 428,809.

a conduit or pipe 14 carrying a pair of electric conductors 15, 15.

. The casing 11 is provided upon itsinner side, adjacent to its reduced end 12, with an annular rib or bead-16 serving as a stop to limit the inward movement of the pipe 14 when the same is beingsecured to said casing. At its upper edge, said casing is provided with an inwardly-extending flange 17, the inner edge of which forms a circular opening 18.

Upon the upper edge of the casing 11 and the flange 1.7 thereof is disposed an annular plate 19 which is provided upon its inner side with screw-threads 19. The said plate is preferably larger in diameter than said casing in order partly to supportthe outlet in position in the floor when said plate 19 is secured to said casing 10 by screws 20 which extend through said plate and into the top of said casing. In order to form a tight joint, I preferably insert a gasket or packing 21 between said plate 19 and the top of the casing 10.

22 denotes a hollow plug having a horizon tally projecting flange 23 at its upper edge smaller in diameter than the opening 18 in 1 the casing 11 in order to fit readily into the same, and is provided at its base with an opening 23 provided with right hand screw threads 23, and at its top with a smaller opening 24, and a transverse slot 25 to receive a tool for rotating said plug when it is desired to secure the same within, or remove it from said casing 11.

Within the plug 22 is reversibly disposed a tubular conduit member 26 having an enlarged intermediate portion 27 provided with screw-threads adapted to engage with the screw-threads 23 in the base of said plug, whereby to support said tubular member 26 duly in either of its adjusted positions. The tubular member 26 is provided adjacent its enlarged portion 27 with a closed end 28 whose diameter corresponds with the tubular portion 26, and intermediate said closed end 28 and the screw-threads on said enlarged portion 27, said tubular member 26 is provided with two oppositely-arranged inclined apertures 29 which communicate with the interior of said tubular member.

The closed end 28 is adapted to be received by and completely close the opening 24: in the top of the plug 22, and in order to form a tight joint between said parts, I preferably dispose a gasket or packing 31 upon the closed end 28 intermediate the enlarged portion 27 and the underside of the top of said plug.

The open end of the tubular member 26 may be provided with one or more slots 30 to receive a tool whereby to rotate said tubular member in order to engage the screw-threaded portion thereof with, or release the same from their engagement with the screw-threads 23 in the base of the plug 22 when securing said tubular member to either of its adjusted positions within said casing 10.

In the construction illustrated at Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the operative parts of the outlet are the same as hereinabove described, the diiferences residing principally in the form of the casing. In this construction, the easing 10 is entirely closed and provided with a base 1O which is larger than the portion extending therefrom which is secured by screws 20 to floor plate 19. The base 10 is provided in its sides with a plurality of openings 10 to permit of the insertion of one or more screw-threaded ends of pipes 1% which are secured in place therein by nuts 14. In order to secure the casing part 10 to the base 10 the latter is provided with lugs 10 to receive the screws 10 The operation of the apparatus is as follows lVhen the outlet is not in use, the same is in the position illustrated at Figs. 1 and 5, in which the tubular member 26 is shown with its open end extending downwardly into the casing. In this position, the inclined openings are disposed entirely within the hollow plug 22, and the closed end 28 of the tubular member 26 extends into and completely closes the opening 24- in the top of the plug 22. The joint between the enlarged intermediate portion 27 of the tubular member 26 and the top of the hollow plug 22 is rendered fluid tightby a packing or washer 31.

lVhen it is desired to adjust the outlet to its operative position, it merely becomes necessary to insert a tool into the slot 25 in the top of the hollow plug 22 and thence rotate the same in an anti-clockwise direction, whereby the hollow plug 22 and the tubular member 26 may be unscrewed from the annular plate 19 and removed from the casing 10. Hercupon, the tubular member 26 is turned in an anti-clockwise direction in order to release the screw-threads upon the enlarged intermediate portion thereof from their engagement with the screw-threads 23 in the lower end of the hollow plug 22. The tubular member is then reversed and its open portion passed from below through the opening 2 1 in the top of the hollow plug 22 and screwed into position until the shoulder 27 with the washer or packing 31 are forced firmly against the under side of the top of the hollow plug 22.

The operations of screwing the tubular member 26 into engagement with the hollow plug 22, and the securing of the hollow plug 22 by its threaded portion into engagement with the screw-threads 19 of the annular plate 19 are performed simultaneously by holding the tubular member 26 stationary and rotating the plug 22. This being possible by reason of the fact that the screwthreads in the lower end of the hollow plug 22 and those on the annular plate 19 run in the same direction. I

Before the members 22, 26 are assembled, the branch conductors 15, 15, extending from the main conductors passing through the pipes or conduits 1 1 and receptacle, are led throughthe openings 29 adjacent to the closed end of the tubular member 26 and then brought upwardly through said tubular memher, as indicated at Fig. 2, in order that the same may be connected subsequently to the apparatus which it is desired to connect with the main conductors 15, 1".

It is to be noted that by means of the applicants invention, the tubular member 26, which serves as a guard for the conductors when the same is adjusted to the operative position illustrated at Fig. 2. also serves completely to seal the hollow plug 22 when the member 26 is adjusted to either its said operative or inoperative position illustrated at Fig. 1. In other words, the tubular member 26 serves as a sealing member to render the casing fluid tight in either position, and when the apparatus is not in use, the same is entirely flush with the floor within which it is secured.

The expression operative position as herein used in the specification, page 1, lines 26 and 27; page 5, lines 19 and 20, and page 6, lines 21-26. is intended to describe the condition of the device when the reversible conduit-member 26 is in the posit-ion shown at Fig. 2, and the expression inoperative position is intended to describe the condition of the device when said conduit member 26 is secured in the reversed position as shown at Fig. 1.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a casing having an opening in the top thereof and having a conductor wire passage, a hollow tubular conduitanember having a longitudinal passage therein forelectrical conductors, a closed end portion, and outlets in the sides thereof adjacent to said closed end portion, and means for securing said conduitmember within said opening in a plurality of axial positions; the closed end portion of said .onduit-member, when said conduit-member is adjusted to one of its positions, serving to lid seal the opening in the top of said casing, and in another of said positions to bring the passage in said conduit-member into communication with the interior of said casing, substantially as specified.

2. A device of the character described comprising a casing having an opening in the top thereof and having a conductor wire passage, a hollow removable member secured. in said opening, a reversible tubular conduit-member disposed within said removable member; means for securing said conduit-member in either of two positions; said conduit-member having a closed end and a longitudinal passage for electrical conductors below said closed end, and an enlarged intermediate portion on said conduit-member adapted to engage with the under-side'of said removable member and serving jointly with one of the reduced end portions of said conduit-member to seal the opening in said removable ,member in either of the positions of said conduit-mem ber, substantially as specified.

3. A, device of the character described comprising a casing having an opening in the top thereof and having a conductor wire passage, a hollow tubular memberhaving a passage therein for electrical conductors, said tubular member having a closed end, and having in let and outlet openings communicating with said passage, and means for securing said hollow tubular member in operative and inoperative positions in said casing; said hollow tubular member, in its operative position, presenting an outlet for said electrical conductors terminating in a. plane above the top of said casing and in its inoperative position lying wholly within the outlines of said casing with its upper portion coinciding substantially with the top of said casing, andserving in said position to seal the opening in the top of said casing, and in its operative position to communicate with the interior of said casing for the accommodation of the electrical conductors therethrough, substantially as specified.

4. A device of the character described comprising a plate having a screw-threaded opening therein, a hollow member, a screw-threaded portion at the upper end of said hollow member engageable with the screw-threaded opening in said plate; said hollow member having an opening in its top and a screwthreaded opening in its base, a conduit-memher having a closed end portion and a passage through the remaining portion thereof, and an enlarged, screw-threaded intermediate portion engageable with the screw-threaded.

o ening in the base of said hollow member w iereby to support said conduit-member in one position within said hollow member to seal the opening in the top thereof, and, in another position within said hollow member to cause the passage therein to communicate with the interior of said casing for the accommodation of electrical conducting means, substantially as specified.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a plate having a screw-threaded opening therein, a casing carried thereby, a hollow plug, a screw-threaded portion at the upper end of said plug adapted to engage the screwthreaded opening in said plate, said plug having an opening in its top and a screw-threaded opening in its base, a tubular member disposed within said plug, having a closed end and openings in the sides thereof adjacent to said closed end, and an enlarged, screwthreaded intermediate portion adapted to en.- gage the screw-threaded opening in the base of said plug whereby to support said tubular member in a plurality of positions, said tubular member in both of its positions serving to seal the opening in the top of said plug, and in one of its said positions to provide a passage communicating with the interior of said casing for the accommodation of electrical conducting means, substantially as specified.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a casing open at its top and having a conductor wire passage, a cover for the top of said casing having an opening therein, a hollow member removably secured in the opening of the cover. said hollow member being also provided with an opening, a tubular member having an axial passage therethrough, but axially closed at one end and a lateral passage communicating with said axial passage adjacent to its axially closed end, and cooperating means upon said hollow member and said tubular member for supporting the tubular ,member in either of two positions, in one position, the closed axial end extending into the opening in said hollow member and serving to seal the same, and in its other position the other end of the tubular member extending through the opening in said hollow member and the lateral. opening being disposed within the casing whereby to provide an outlet from the interior of the casing, substantially as specified.

Signed at the city of New York, county of New York and State of New York, this 18th day of November, one thousand nine hundred and twenty.

EUGENE A. STAPLES. 

